The present invention pertains generally to brace structures for clamping to posts such as fence posts.
In wide use are steel fence posts which characteristically are of T section and having a series of forwardly projecting studs spaced along their front faces. Such posts commonly include a spade or plate adjacent their lower ends and come in a range of lengths to suit various uses including use in home yards and in fields. It is the latter use that such posts are subjected to severe loads such as those resulting from cattle contacting fencing which results in bending of the steel fence posts to enable escape of stock. In the prior art are a number of efforts to brace fence posts of various types. Generally speaking such bracing attempts provide downwardly diverging supports or braces having their lower ends buried. U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,762 discloses a post structure for the temporary support of an electrical conduit to a house under construction wherein brackets are clamped to the post with bracket flanges receiving the upper end of braces which terminate downwardly in contact with a ground surface. While such an arrangement is not disclosed as supporting a fence post, the bracket structure is of some relevance in that it shows a bracket clamped to a post and used to attach the ends of multiple braces to a post. Bracing of corner fence posts is particularly a problem.